


Forever Plus One

by HeinousWriter



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon Rewrite, Child, Developing Relationship, Doctor's son, Heart of the TARDIS, Love, OC, Past Relationship(s), Pete's World (Doctor Who), Relationship(s), Reunion, Rewrite, Rose's son - Freeform, Season/Series 06, pregnant Rose
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29754222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeinousWriter/pseuds/HeinousWriter
Summary: Rose Tyler and her son, Irvin, receive a TARDIS blue envelope through a crack in a wall. Curious about its contents, the both of them find a sliver they can travel through back to Rose's universe. How will the Doctor react and adapt to having a family again? What about River? And why is Rose hiding something from the Doctor?Season 6 - rewrite. 11th Doctor/Rose pairing.
Relationships: Amy Pond/Rory Williams, Eleventh Doctor/Rose Tyler, Metacrisis Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler, Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 13
Kudos: 54





	1. The Two Impossibles in One Day

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've entertained this idea for a while. Not sure where I'll go with it, but I'm quite excited. 
> 
> Much of this is canon by the way, like the Meta-Crisis's actual name is Corin. Rose and he do have a child together as well. Anyways, I'm going to try to include little stuff like that in the best way I can.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, let me know what you guys think.   
> Thanks for reading!

A bright light flashes as if it is a lightning storm out in the desert. A distinct boom resounds throughout the air. A teenage boy flounders forward in horror dragging a blonde woman with him. Both try to catch their selves with a panicked yelp. The light around them disappears as quickly as it appeared. The teenager ends up on his knees, his legs are weak from the travel. His hands dig into the gravel-like sand. He dry heaves on the ground as the blonde woman is hunched over with her hands on her knees. 

“Blimey!” the teen cries in pain. “How many times did you say you did this again?” 

The woman clutches her stomach as she slowly stands straight. The hot sun beams down on them. She fans her shirt out feeling the sweat build too quickly for her liking. “Too many, unfortunately.” she groans out. “You okay?” 

“Peachy keen.” he grumbles sarcastically. 

Rose turns to look at him, her son, Irvin, “Oh, you and your attitude.” 

Irvin steps closer to her and rolls his eyes. “You know you love it. Anyways, that was possibly the worst thing I've ever experienced.” Irvin bemoans. A small grunt of agreement comes from Rose. 

She smiles weakly from the numerous times she had to use the horrid device. “No matter how much your father tweaked it. It still left an undesirable effect in the end.” Rose sighs fondly. 

A memory of a slightly aged Doctor, otherwise known as the Meta-Crisis in scientific terms; however, personally, he deemed himself as Corin to the people around him. She can remember him fiddling with the dimension cannon out of curiosity. Calling her a genius for even making it in the first place. Of course, the idea was shared between the real experts who helped create the machine. She should consider herself lucky enough to get the cannons to function at all after all these years. 

“So, are your time senses tingling?” Irvin asks with a sniff, surveying the area around them. She purses her lips in thought, taking in the desert before them. Well, it isn’t really a desert. It’s very dry though. Shriveled shrubs decorate the sides of a road not too far from them. The sun is so bright, she decides to whip out a pair of shades. Her skin prickles, noting a fixed point is currently taking place around them. Just as she dreamt, knowing they needed to be here and now. 

“Yea’. It’s happening as I said.” Rose informs, her face becoming steely with caution. “Wait, can’t you feel it?” she asks suddenly, staring at her son with bewilderment. He’s quite the mix of her and Corin. He’s as smart as her husband but blatantly human as her. He takes after Corin the most though. Oh, those two were a pair back in the days. Her _boys_ , as she referred to them. Though, Rose isn’t quite the normal human anymore. After soaking in the Time Vortex, it affected her whole biology. Good ‘ol repercussions. It was such a lovely experience finding that out. 

“Well, yea’. I just wanted the expert's opinion is all.” Irvin grumbles, gesturing to her in the process. 

Rose snorts at him, “Just because I’m older doesn’t mean I know everythin’.” 

Irvin raises an eyebrow at her, “Dad did. He’s way older than you.” he relays with a disgusted face. 

She frowns at his expression, “Not the human clone version, as in your actual father.” she counters. 

“Whatever you say, mum.” 

She smirks at that, “On that note, let's get goin’. Time’s a-waitin'!” 

Irvin nods and follows Rose as she paces out onto the road. She feels really antsy about this. Her dream wasn’t all that clear. Something about a gangly-looking man with a bowtie being shot. Everything's a bit blurry though. Being consumed by the Time Vortex always gives her these weird pre-notions of important events. She only sees them when she sleeps. Corin warned her how dangerous it was. 

He did not like it one bit. He wouldn’t even tell her how to read timelines. He didn’t want to see her go through such sensitive information. His reasoning being because it can be horrifically sad. All timelines have an end. She frowns remembering him telling her this. She shakes her head at her internal thoughts. She needs to focus on what to do now. 

“’s a bit deserted, isn’t it?” Rose comments as she surveys the area. 

Irvin looks around as well, not much to note. “We seem to be in the middle of nowhere. What now?” he asks as he fans a hand in front of him. Bollocks, it’s warm. He wishes he got the superior body temperature in the genetic lottery. 

“Got no choice to walk.” 

With that, Rose and Irvin travel down the side of the road. Sweat gathers at their foreheads and soaks their backs as they walk. Both are roasting in their jeans. Rose notes a building in the near distance after around fifteen minutes of walking. “Oh my God, finally!” she cheers joyfully at the sight of it along with some other buildings. 

“Water!” Irvin shouts just as happy and begins to run ahead. 

“Oi! Don’t just swan off!” Rose cries, jogging after him. Irvin is practically skipping down the road. He does a jump and clicks his heels together mid-air. Something he did often when he was thrilled. Rose never understood how he developed such a trait. She blames it on the Doctor’s weird quirks. Father like son after all. She huffs at that and arrives shortly next to Irvin’s still figure as he takes greedy gulps of warm air. 

Rose glances inside to find a small diner. Her knees almost collapse with relief. Irvin walks inside first, holding the door open for her as she trails in after him. It wasn’t busy besides the staff inside. They almost sink to the floor as the somewhat cool air hits them. They wander over a booth nearby. Rose tosses her backpack down on the seat and Irvin follows suit with his own. Rose rolls her shoulders back gratefully. The backpack was overly heavy despite it being bigger-on-the-inside. 

“I’m gonna head to the restroom.” Rose informs Irvin. 

“I’ll get us something to drink.” 

Rose leans forward and unzips her backpack. She grabs a light pink tank-top and a pair of white shorts. The heat is roasting her alive. Zipping the bag back up, she grabs the clothing and heads toward the restroom sign. 

* * *

Irvin orders a shake (plus water) for him and his mother while he waits for her return. He remembers the reason for their visit to this universe and reaches down to the leather satchel he carries. He unbuttons it, the bag being bigger-on-the-inside too. He digs around inside it until his fingers brush upon what he is searching for. He takes it out with a giddy grin and sets it on the table in front of him. An envelope dyed in the color of the TARDIS (as his mother insists) makes him even more curious. He knew of the contents inside. However, they did not relay much information in general. 

He was always curious about the number on the flap though. It sported a zero. He is momentarily distracted from the mystery in front of him as the waiter comes by with their drinks. Irvin quickly thanks to the woman after she sets them down on the table. She swiftly walks away, and Irvin pulls his vanilla milkshake closer to him. Leaning forward he takes a greedy sip. His shoulders sag as if the milkshake lifted a weight off them. 

A weird sound fills the air suddenly and he stares quizzically at the door with an image of Elvis painted on the front. Blimey, this place really is decorated with American symbolism. He continues to sip on his shake in deep thought almost forgetting about the weird noise from thirty-six seconds ago. It’s not long after when a man saunters out the door with a smile on his face. He is dressed in a red bowtie and a tweed coat. The strangers' pants made Irvin question if this man is either blind or has terrible fashion sense. 

Irvin suppresses a small snort and takes another sip of his drink. Something in the back of his mind buzzes against his mental walls. He shivers at the foreign contact. He detaches his lips from the straw at the feeling and his eyes meet with the strangers surprised ones staring right at him. He squirms uncomfortably in his seat as they continue to make eye contact. The stranger paces over to him abruptly and Irvin tries to appear attentive. Though, he’s a bit nervous about this man's presence. He reminds him of his deceased father back in the parallel world. 

The man glances down at the blue envelope in front of Irvin with surprise. “You!” the man cries and points a finger at the teenager. “Who are you then?” 

Irvin’s eyes widen and stare at the finger, feeling quite perplexed. “Uh, I don’t think that’s your business.” Irvin responds in a wary tone. 

The man slides into the seat across from him, hunched over with his elbows on the table. “Everything’s my business.” 

Irvin feels his eye twitch in irritation. What’s with this guy? “Yeah, right—” Irvin starts off, but the man snatches the envelope with a calculating and curious look. “Oi!” he shouts at him. 

“Zero.” 

“Huh?” 

“You have a zero.” 

Irvin gives the man a bewildered look. This stranger is so random! It’s hurting his head. “So what?” he asks, wondering what this man is on to. 

The man pulls out a blue envelope from somewhere in his coat pocket and shows the lapel of it to him. “I’m one.” he informs. 

Irvin reaches across the table quickly and takes the envelope out of the man's hands. He opens the flap and takes out the card inside. It reflects the same information inside his own. He glances at the stranger, feeling even more curious about his presence. He’s familiar, impossibly so. His eyes are old like his dad's was. 

“You,” Irvin whispers breathlessly. “What’s your name?” 

The man appears a bit hesitant to answer. Clearly, the situation isn’t normal for him. “I’m the Doctor.” he answers with a quirky smile. 

Irvin’s mouth drops open as he stares at the man, his FATHER. No not father, well, technically his father. Oh, it’s all so confusing. It’s the same man, right? _Just not human,_ a small voice whispers in the back of his jumbling thoughts. 

“Oh! It seems you know me! Excellent. Makes things easier.” the Doctor shouts with a clap. He leans closer to Irvin again. Any excitement dashed away in an instant. His green eyes are hard and serious. “Whoever you are, I keep denying it. Because you are so so young and impossible. So, tell me, who are you?” 

Irvin swallows nervously, not sure if he should answer or not. His mother and he haven’t discussed this part yet. He stands and shuffles out of the booth. The Doctor stands with him, his eyes trained on his figure. “Where do you think you’re going?!” he shouts at him. 

Irvin winces at his tone, not liking this situation one bit. He literally jogs toward the restroom, away from his, well, his FATHER. “Mum!” Irvin shouts anxiously and pounds on the woman’s restroom door. “Code Mauve! Code Mauve!” he repeats in a hurry glancing back and forth with the door and the man steadily comes closer to him. 

* * *

Rose hears her son shouting from the other side of the door. She gathers her old sweat-stained clothing. She pulls the door open after, and her son’s eyes brighten with relief at seeing her. “Mum!” he cries again and rushes inside. She jumps back when he slams the door shut and leans against it. 

“Irvin! What the hell are ya’ doin’?!” she asks, staring at the door worryingly. 

“He’s here!” 

“Who is?!” she shouts. 

Irvin opens his mouth to respond but is silenced abruptly. “I demand you open this door instantly!” a person on the other side hollers. 

She gives her son a small glare, “What did ya’ do?” 

He tosses her an exasperated look, “Why do you think I did something?!” 

“Knowing you, the troublemaker you are must have done something!” she cries and gestures to the other side of the door. 

“Don’t look at me! I didn’t _ask_ for him to appear,” he growls lowly in a panic. 

“Open this door or I shall force it open!” the man on the other side shouts. Rose exchanges a nervous look with her son before moving to hold the door closed with him. 

“Who are you talking about?” Rose asks with a huff as she puts most of her back along with the door. 

“Dad!” he hisses. “I can feel him in my head.” 

Rose’s face pales considerably with this new information. She drops her clothes to tug on the ends of her hair in thought. Her eyes flicker around anxiously, not sure what to do with their predicament. The familiar sound of a sonic screwdriver being activated on the other side of the door brings her back to reality. “Wait!” she shouts before she knows it. 

The whirring stops almost immediately. 

She looks at Irvin, “I’m gonna open the door.” she whispers. 

His eyes widen, “What?!” he whisper-shouts. 

“We can’t hide in here forever.” she reasons with a small sigh. She’s not sure if she wants to face this. The man she _loved_ ; well still loves for all she knows. Although, that small spark of anger still resides in her from how he left her without as so much as a goodbye on that beach such a long time ago. She shakes her head; this isn’t the time to think about that. 

She moves Irvin away from the door and removes herself as well. She glances at her son with a small reassuring smile. To be honest, nothing about this feels calm. She places her hand on the handle and slowly opens the door to reveal herself. A man with floppy brown hair and green eyes greets her immediately. His expression turns a bit pale at the sight of her. She swallows past a lump in her throat as her heart lurches out of nowhere. 

Removing her eyes from his own disbelieving ones, she examines the rest of him. While he might seem young, he wears such older clothes. She pauses at the bowtie, as her lips quirk up at the detail. The tweed is a bit odd, but it oddly suits him. Just as his other outfits did on both bodies. How many times has he regenerated since she last saw him? Was he alone? Her heart breaks at the thought of him being alone all this time. 

“Rose?” the Doctor whispers, still trying to fathom her existence in whole. She smiles as he calls out her name. Oh, he never changes the way she says her name. 

“Doctor.” she hums out, her smile widening impossibly. She can’t help it, the man in front of her is basically her husband and father to her child. Not only that but the man who seems to or used to love her conditionally. Tears shimmer in her eyes as memories of Corin and the Doctor morph together. Oh, her love for him is so strong. This version of him will never ever know. As Corin once explained to her, he’s too much a coward to express such personal things. He’s used to running away from things that eventually made him uncomfortable or hopeless. 

“How...There’s no way.” the Doctor mumbles. “You can’t possibly be here!” he cries raising his hands in the air. 

“Right, well,” she coughs and bites her bottom lip nervously. “...let’s just say there was a crack big enough to travel through.” 

“I left you with Handy! You should be there WITH him.” 

Irvin suppresses a laugh at his real father’s nickname. However, he’s really too entranced with his mum’s reunion with the Doctor to care much. 

“Guess I just can’t stay away.” she breathes with a sad smile. 

The Doctor pauses to simply just examine her again. “You impossible thing.” he utters in astonishment. “No, I should be angry with you!” he suddenly shouts with a failing stern look directed at her. 

She smirks mischievously, “I don’t know, Doctor. You seem a bit _happy_ to see me.” 

He crosses his arms childishly, jutting his chin at her. She finds it rather adorable if she were, to be frank. “I’m cross as you can tell.” 

“Uh-huh, does that mean I don’t get a hug then?” she pouts, playing along with his small act. He isn’t fooling anyone with that. “Kind of missed them.” she comments afterward. 

His eyes brighten at her confession and he uncrosses his arms. “Really?” he inquires as his lips quirk up. 

She purses her lips in thought, “Perhaps. I’d be surer if you tried though.” 

He beams at her and takes a step forward to engulf her into a hug. A watery smile appears on her lips as his scent washes over her. She clasps his jacket into her hands as his large hands spread against her back. She feels so safe, she forgot what it was like to hug the man she loved. It felt like coming home. She can hear the familiar sound of his twin hearts beating quickly. She’s so used to a single one, but they still beat the same pattern. She sniffles sadly and the Doctor pulls back to stare at her in concern. 

She wipes at her eye, “Sorry, just been a while is all.” 

His eyes crinkle with joy, “Oh, Rose Tyler,” he starts, his tongue rolling her name in the most affectionate way as always. “...you are a sight for these old eyes.” 

“So, you’re not angry then?” 

He frowns instantly, “No, I am.” he replies. He pauses for a second to wipe at a stray tear on her cheek. “Although, not as much as I should be.” he sighs, appearing tired. 

She swallows with a nod, understanding why he would be. However, he didn’t know about his Meta-Crisis and how old she really is now. She leaves the Doctor’s arms to turn to look at her son. He stands far back with a soft smile on his lips, appearing quite wistful. “I haven’t seen you look like that in a while, mum.” Irvin finally speaks. 

Rose smiles back at her son, “Didn’t know I looked a certain way.” 

“Mum?” the Doctor utters while staring at the teenage boy in shock. “MUM as in mother?!” he shouts after, his brain appearing to short out as his gaze flickers back and forth between the other two people in the room. 

“Oh, I shouldn’t have said that should I?” Irvin winces. 

“Probably not.” Rose agrees. She watches the Time Lord trying to work this out. The silence in the room becoming filled with much tension. “Doctor?” she calls out after a few minutes of him staring at the wall with wide eyes. 

His eyes snap to hers instantly, “With Handy?” he asks, licking his lips nervously. 

Rose runs her fingers through her hair with a stress-filled sigh, “Yeah.” 

A flicker of jealousy flashes in the Doctor’s eyes until it disappears to be replaced by wonder. He walks up to Irvin and stares at him, examining him from head to toe. “So, that’s why I felt you in here.” the Doctor notes while pointing a finger to his temple. His eyes slowly begin to sparkle with awe and a wide grin, “You’re my son!” he squeaks out giddily. 

“Technically, yes.” Irvin smiles sheepishly. “It’s confusing.” 

The Doctor swivels on his heels to look at Rose again. “We had a son!” he cries with a laugh. 

“You’re handling this a lot better than I thought.” she admits with a tongue-in-cheek grin. 

“I’m a father again, not sure how I feel about that.” he frowns. “Although, having a son with Rose Tyler is indeed worth a considerable amount of happiness.” he beams again, his mood shifting constantly. 

A small blush appears on her cheeks, and she clears her throat. “Yes, well,” she gestures to Irvin, “we were quite surprised and happy as well.” 

“I would hope so.” Irvin pouts. 

“What’s your name?” the Doctor finally asks and puts his hands over Irvin’s shoulders. 

“Irvin. Irvin Adan Tyler.” 

The Doctor’s smile disappears as a blank look takes over his features. “What?” he whispers. 

Rose seems to catch on and comes forward to grasp the Doctor’s hand in hers. He barely passes her a look as he stares at the teen in front of him passively. His eyes hold an insurmountable of pain. Her heart tears in half seeing him like this. She and Corin, he told her everything about the Doctor’s life, _his_ life. Everything that happened, took time but soon she knew everything. She’s learned how much heartache the Doctor has been through. Everything about him is seared into her memory. 

Feeling a bit bold, she knows this man is different from her husband to some degree. Especially how Corin changed over time. But overall, the man she loved always stayed, the person deep down. She bites her lip before raising her other hand to place it upon his cheek. He doesn’t move and she slowly turns his face toward her. He doesn’t even mask the pain he’s in as he remembers. “Corin, your Meta-Crisis, he wanted to name him after your brother.” Rose whispers sympathetically. The Doctor swallows something hard and his eyes flutter closed. “It’s a shortened version of it, I know. I didn’t mean to put you in any pain.” 

The Doctor simply shakes his head and opens his eyes again. Tears brimmed his eyes just barely, clearly resisting the urge to weep. He reaches up to place his hand over hers, the one over his cheek. “It’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting it to be that is all.” 

Rose smiles weakly, “Oh, dear. I have so much to tell you.” 

Unbeknownst to her, his heart sores at her term of endearment. He’s never seen something look at him with so much love and devotion. He dares say it has increased since he last saw her. Rose Tyler is a force he should not reckon with. His lips quirk up a little at the thought before releasing a stuttered breath. “I’m sure you do.” he murmurs hopelessly. Honestly, he’s perfectly happy standing here and just basking in her presence. 

“Er, not the intervene your lovely reunion.” Irvin intervenes awkwardly. “But I think we should move this conversation out of the woman’s restroom.” 

Rose blinks, realizing they were still there. “No, you’re right.” 

The Doctor beams again and tugs her hand, heading towards the door. Irvin follows his, um, parents (?) out of the door. They head toward the booth to resume the rest of their heartwarming discussion. 


	2. Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments, readers!
> 
> One thing to note is Rose and Irvin don't talk much here due to it being so, idk, personal? They're strangers to everyone besides the Doctor. I don't mean to sound like I'm just copying the show. 
> 
> Anyways, I'm cutting down the episode through chapters because I just don't have much time on my hands due to college so.

Sitting down in the booth, Rose grabs her glass of water gratefully. The Doctor slides in across from her and Irvin sits next to her. The Doctor orders a Coca-Cola afterward. She takes a greedy sip of the water, the ice in it shifting with her desperation. She sets it back down with a huff and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. 

“Never knew water tasted so good.” she comments, her gaze flickering to the man across from her. 

A loony grin is stamped upon his lips ever since he sat down, “Waters good. Definitely a lifesaver.” 

Irvin raises an eyebrow at the two, “Yes, water is a good source for survival.” 

Rose smirks and tries to hide it behind her hand. The Doctor squirms in his seat like he is struggling to stay still. She couldn’t help but find that quirk a little adorable too. “Speaking of survival,” the Doctor starts off, his eyes trained on Rose. “...I would love an explanation on why you’re here and where _Handy_ is right now.” 

Her face pales at the thought of Corin. She picks at her nails anxiously, not sure where to start exactly. It’s not that easy. Nothing ever is whenever the Doctor is concerned, even his half-human twin. Irvin notices his mothers fidgeting, clearly understanding her nerves. The reason how they are here, why they left, and _where_ is father is. They are all important questions; Irvin can tell where the Time Lord is coming from. However, it’s a sensitive subject for his mother. Hell, even for him, it can be too. It’s been a while since they have talked about him. All these years passing by like nothing. Over time you forget sometimes. 

“Er,” Irvin speaks up and the Doctor focuses on him now. He suppresses a wince at the Doctor’s eagerness and nervousness. “...he’s deceased.” he answers vaguely on purpose. 

The Doctor’s eyes shoot up in surprise. With his eyes blown wide as they flicker back and forth between Rose and Irvin. Rose continues to fidget in her seat, sucking on her bottom lip in the process. She unconsciously rubs her left ring finger, the gold band glittering in the daylight. 

“How?” the Doctor asks, appearing sad and regretful. 

She glances away and opts to stare out the window. Her heart aches as memories dash throughout her mind. “He—” she sighs but is interrupted by a waitress. She comes forth and places the Doctor’s drink on the table with a smile. He doesn’t spare her a look as he stares passively at Rose. 

“Thanks.” Irvin tells the waitress before she wanders off. 

“Rose, tell me, please.” the Doctor begs and reaches forward to grab her hand with his own. She almost falls apart at the contact. His touch makes her shiver, his cool skin pleasant against her overly warm skin. It’s been so long since she’s felt him like this. She’s used to his human temperature. 

Tears gather in her eyes when a memory of a very old Corin sits in a private hospital room. His wrinkled face trying to cheer her up. She swallows thickly, holding back a painful sob. Irvin places a hand on his mother’s arm, matching her expression. “Mum,” Irvin calls out, his voice is weak with emotion. “It’s okay.” 

She releases a stuttering breath, “Can this wait?” she asks helplessly. Her eyes begging the Doctor to not push her right now. Even though it’s been so long, it still hurts so much. 

The Doctor gives her a sympathetic look, “Of course it can. But everything's safe, right? The way you both got here isn’t exactly great.” 

Irvin nods, “Yeah, we made sure before taking off. The slit we slipped through, sealed itself behind us. We only had the smallest time frame and hoped we would get here.” 

“That was risky of you. Dangerous even. Could have destroyed both universes.” 

Irvin gives him a sheepish look, “Well, we had to be here because of that letter.” 

Irvin picks it up again and examines it for the hundredth time. Of course, he’s not going to tell his father the other bit about how his mother and he share a unique ability. Not the time to do so, he can feel it. He shivers as he feels another point in time is approaching rapidly. 

“Right, how did you guys get it?” the Doctor asks, casting a concerned look in Rose’s direction as she gazes out the window. 

“There was this crack in a wall. It just came through one day and then sealed itself off. We examined it, the area around it, but couldn’t find much with the technology we have at Torchwood.” Irvin informs with a small sigh. 

The Doctor’s eyes brighten, “A crack? Must have been the same one. It's a crack in time and space. I took care of it already, but it must have appeared in your dimension too. How interesting.” 

Irvin smiles, “Oh, now I'm curious. Please do tell more.” 

The Doctor smirks back and reaches for his drink. He takes a sip and an annoyed expression crosses over his face. “It’s not fizzy enough!” he cries. 

“Eh?” 

“My soda, it’s not fizzy!” the Doctor shouts, absolutely horrified. “This is a crime!” 

“I think the soda is the least of our problems right now.” Irvin grumbles in exasperation. Sometimes he wonders how he was born from this man. Well, not this particular man, just a version of him. Oh, again, it’s too confusing to think about. 

Rose glances at the random shouting curiously. “What ’s he on about?” she asks with a semi-amused look. 

“Apparently, his drink doesn’t contain enough fizz for his liking.” Irvin explains, eyeing the pouting Time Lord. 

She tosses the Doctor an incredulous look, “Are ye’ serious?” 

“It’s perfectly sane to complain about not enough fizz, I’ll have you know, Rose Tyler!” the Doctor shouts and waggles a finger at her. 

“Right. ‘Cause that’s normal.” she deadpans. 

The Doctor slides out of the booth with an offended huff. “I’m going to go grab my fizzy straw.” 

Rose raises an eyebrow in his direction as he almost falls out of the booth in a flurry of limbs. He paces toward the door he came from. “Doctor!” she shouts abruptly making him pause and twirl around in question. She stares at him, almost scared about something. “Just—Don’t leave, please.” she pleads weakly. 

His expression softens, “I won’t, promise.” 

She has reason to doubt when he disappears through the door. She waits for the sound of the TARDIS engines to move but hears none after three minutes and forty-six seconds. A heavy breath passes through her lips as she sinks down in her seat. 

“Are you okay?” Irvin asks her abruptly. 

She glances at him sadly, “No.” 

He smiles, “Me neither.” 

She smiles back and places her hand on his head affectionately. “Oh, what am I gonna do with you two?” 

“Love us?” 

“Already doin’ that.” she smirks. 

He chuckles and takes a sip of his slightly melted shake. “Where’s my shake?” she asks, staring at the cold treat in front of him. 

“Thought you didn’t like vanilla?” 

She scowls next, “I don’t _mind_ it. There must have been other flavors.” 

“Just chocolate. No strawberry, sorry mum.” Irvin says. 

She crosses her arms with an inaudible grumble, “Could’ve gotten me vanilla.” 

A bell chimes in the air abruptly and the two look over their shoulders. A group of three people walks through the door. Rose notes how each stands out in their own way. Mostly by the hair, the only normal-looking one is the man. They all appear troubled though. She casts a look toward the growing evening behind them. It’s getting late. 

Irvin turns back around, uninterested mostly. Rose continues to watch them curiously, never dismissing random people. Especially, when they appear to have gone through hell just by their expressions alone. 

“I was two, and Mr. Delaware was four.” the woman with curly hair points out to her group. Rose watches with keen interest, her gaze flickering to the two envelopes on the table in thought. 

“So?” the man asks as the door closes behind him. The ginger woman walks forward, not seeming to care about her group's conversation. The woman catches Rose’s eyes, and she smiles shyly before turning back around. Oops, she got caught. 

“So, where’s one?” the curly-haired woman asks out loud. Rose is curious, indefinitely so. Eavesdropping may be rude, but she doesn’t really care. 

“What you think he invited someone else?” the man questions and Rose can note them approaching. The woman’s click of her boots growing closer to them. 

“Well, he must have.” the curly-haired woman guesses. “He planned all of this, to the last detail.” 

The two people talking stand near the bar stools and Irvin peers at them. His eyes widen at the sight of the blue envelopes and so does Rose’s. Irvin moves his hand toward his mother and places it upon hers. _There’s more of us?_ He asks her telepathically, sounding skeptical. Rose narrows her eyes on them. _Let’s not say anything yet._ She responds. 

“Will you two shut up?” the ginger woman admonishes behind them. Her voice barely recognizable due to the quietness of it. “It doesn’t matter.” 

“He was up to something.” the curly-haired woman continues, not hearing the red-haired girl. 

“He’s dead.” the ginger utters, sounding conflicted. 

“‘Space, 1969.’ what did he mean?” the curly-haired woman asks. 

Rose’s eyebrows rise in alarm. The people sound just as confused as they were. Irvin narrows his eyes suspiciously at the curly-haired woman. None of this is really adding up. Who’s dead exactly? Who planned this? Both questions run through the mother and son’s minds. 

“You’re still talking, but it doesn’t matter.” the ginger speaks up a bit more loudly. Her presence still lingers behind them. 

The man moves forward, approaching the ginger. “Hey, it mattered to him.” he states. 

“So, it matters to us.” the curly-haired woman informs with a sorrowful look. 

“He’s dead.” the ginger whispers almost, it sounds haunting and heartbroken. Rose shivers at the tone. Where was the Doctor? 

The curly-haired woman steps closer to the ginger and Rose doesn’t feel bad for watching. This is answering and creating more questions for their situation. It sounds so ominous. “But he still needs us.” the woman insists. “I know. Amy, _I_ know. But right now, we have to focus.” 

Ah, so the ginger’s name is Amy. Good to know. The man begins to look around until his gaze lands on Irvin. It switches to Rose right after curiously. Then, he notices the blue envelopes on the table with a looming realization. “Look.” he points at them. 

Rose smiles sheepishly and so does Irvin, finally being noticed by the group. “‘Ello.” Rose greets with a finger wave. Irvin continues to stare at them as if they were a puzzle he couldn’t solve. Nothing they keep saying is adding up. The group stares at them in confusion before coming forth. 

“Who are you two then?” the curly-haired woman asks, suspicion in her voice clear as crystal. Rose winces at the unfriendly tone. 

“My name's Irvin and this is my mother, Rose.” he introduces them to the group. 

They all stare at the two family members with apprehension. “The Doctor sent you these, correct?” the man asks, picking up the envelope seared with a number one on the lapel. 

“I assumed so, it’s the same color as the TARDIS.” Rose offers as her head tilts with questions. “Why? Who are you all?” 

“So, your friends of the Doctor, right?” the curly-haired woman asks, her gaze steely. Rose and Irvin exchange a look and Irvin shrugs afterward. “I suppose so, but why does it matter?” he inquiries. 

“How come there are two envelopes?” Amy notes curiously. 

“Er, that’s—” Rose starts off but suddenly the Elvis printed door opens. The Doctor walks through whilst nibbling on a straw in the process. His head is down so he doesn’t notice the other people in the diner at first. 

He eventually peers up and he stops until a goofy grin appears on his face. He points at the group, waving the finger about. 

“This is cold.” the curly-haired woman glowers. Rose takes notice of their overall stunned expressions. “Even by your standards, this is cold.” 

The Doctor takes the straw out of his mouth, appearing a tad bit amused. “Or ‘hello’, as people used to say.” he comments. 

“Doctor?” Amy blurts. 

“I just popped out to get my special straw.” the Doctor explains. “It adds more fizz.” he smiles. 

Amy walks forward and Rose can’t help but wonder if they were talking about him being dead. It certainly explains their surprised and hurt expressions. She bites her lip as Amy circles around him, examining the Time Lord like he doesn’t exist. 

“You’re okay. How can you be, okay?” Amy asks in awe. The Doctor follows her movements as she walks around him. His face grows more concerned by the second as he watches her. 

“I’m always okay.” he insists and wraps Amy into a hug. He tosses a very confused look at Rose. She throws her hands up in response, not sure what to say or do. It’s not like she knows these people. “I’m the king of okay. Oh, that’s a rubbish title. Forget that title.” 

Rose snorts subtly and Irvin bumps his elbow into her ribcage. She pouts and rubs the spot as Irvin rolls his eyes. The Doctor moves around Amy abruptly and begins to hurl himself at the man. “Rory the Roman! That’s a good title. Hello, Rory!” the Doctor cheers as he wraps him into a hug as well. 

Rose pushes Irvin, telling him to scoot over and out of the booth. He does as asked and stands with his mother. The Doctor saunters up to the curly-haired woman next with a smirk. “And Doctor River Song.” he crows smoothly. “Oh, you bad, bad girl. What trouble have you got for me this time?” he utters. 

Rose’s jaw drops, instantly recognizing the name. This is the woman who knows the Doctor’s name! She’s not going to lie, she totally forgot about the Doctor having a wife. With Corin in her life, why would she focus on the Doctor anymore? But here she is, the woman who died in the library and knows his name. A stirring of jealousy settles in her heart, but she pushes it down with all her might. This man isn’t hers anymore. It hasn’t been since the moment she kissed Corin on that beach. 

She flinches when said woman smacks the Doctor right across the face. “Ooo, that’s going to leave a mark,” Irvin comments with a small laugh. “Does that compare to the Tyler slap?” he asks. 

She smirks in response and crosses her arms, “Nothing compares to a Tyler slap, spaceman. Trust me your father knows.” 

“Okay.” the Doctor rasps, still stunned. “I’m assuming that’s for something I haven’t done yet.” he states as he turns back to River before giving Rose a small playful glare. 

“Yes, it is.” River answers with hurt and a hard look. 

“Good. Looking forward to that.” the Doctor says sarcastically. 

“I don’t understand,” Rory confesses in confusion, and the Doctor maneuvers to face him in question. He raises a finger and pushes it against the Doctor’s chest. “How can you be here?” he ponders. 

“How do you mean?” Rose asks, feeling very lost. Her suspicions becoming truer as the conversation passes. 

“I was invited.” the Doctor admits matter-of-factly. He takes one of the envelopes from River’s hands. “Date, map reference. Same as you lot, I assume. Otherwise, it’s a hell of a coincidence.” 

Rose leans toward Irvin, “This is getting too weird for my liking.” she whispers. 

“Bloody hell. Can you feel it?” 

Rose nods, “It’s like something’s rippling. _”_ she growls lowly. 

She perks up at the sound of River asking the Doctor a question. She purses her lips, wondering how old he is now. How long has it been since he’s seen her? 

“That’s a bit personal.” the Doctor states and sticks his straw in his mouth. 

“Tell her. Tell her what age you are.” River encourages, appearing desperate. 

“Nine hundred and nine.” the Doctor admits albeit sounding quite curious as to why they need to know. 

Rose and Irvin mutter, “Liar.” under their breath with an eye roll. 

“Yeah, but you said you were—” Amy starts but is interjected by River. “So, where does that leave us, huh?” 

The Doctor looks around a bit awkwardly and concerned. This doesn’t happen to him daily, Rose insinuates. She feels bad for his companions. It’s not often the Doctor is left speechless to some regard. 

“Jim the Fish?” River asks, almost pleading he remembers. “Have we done Jim the Fish yet?” 

Rose casts everyone a sympathetic look, not that any really cares about her presence right now. Everything’s so personal, she feels bad for even intruding on this debate. She feels Irvin grab her hand abruptly with a small smile. She tosses a weak one back at him and begins to rub her thumb over his skin, repeating a simple message through the circles. One of Gallifreyan of nature, which they both know how to read courtesy of marrying someone who is from Gallifrey. Or rather used to be. Sort of. 

She glances at Rory’s horrified face, realizing the circumstances they’re in. Rose and Irvin can only assume this is a past Doctor, not their Doctor. The time streams are a bit messed up. Either way, it’s her Doctor and nothing is changing that. Past, present, future, they are all the same to her. Subtle differences in personality, but never in mind. She grins a little at the comforting thought. She can’t believe the man she loves is in front of her again. This may not be the best time to be thinking of these thoughts though. 

“Who’s Jim the Fish?” the Doctor asks with a curious smile as he looks at everyone. 

“I don’t know, but he sounds like a pleasant fellow.” Rose comments and the Doctor sends her a goofy grin in agreement. 

“I don’t understand.” Amy speaks up with a shake of her head in confusion. 

“Yeah, you do.” Rory insists and gestures to her, creeping closer with a knowing look in his eyes. 

“I don’t!” the Doctor cries, obviously fed up with the discussion. “What are we all doing here?” he asks, he sounds a bit angry. 

Oh, is he angry and not ginger now? Rose thinks with a small smirk. The group turns to each other, trying to find an answer to give him. Irvin piques an eyebrow at their reaction. From what they heard earlier, it seemed quite important. However, maybe he shouldn’t say, this wasn’t his problem. 

“I don’t know,” Rose purses her lips and lets go of Irvin’s hand. The Doctor glances at her mischievously, “...but, I can tell you I’m happy I am.” 

The Doctor’s eyes brighten a little and he smirks back. “Oh, Rose Tyler, always one to shine positivity on a questioning situation. Lovely!” 

The group before her gives her weird looks and Rose’s smirk disappears almost instantly. Right, not the time for small jokes. River seems to find some answer as she swallows harshly, “We’ve been recruited.” she informs and glances at the other two for confirmation. 

“Recruited?” Irvin asks and crosses his arms with a narrowed gaze. Oh, she’s such a liar. The Doctor stares at River as he begins to nibble on the straw in thought. Rose can tell he doesn’t quite believe her either. 

“Something to do with space, 1969, and a man called Canton Everett Delaware the third.” River continues. 

The Doctor travels away from them and picks up Rose’s envelope, deep in thought. His posture is a bit rigid and looming. Why does he look so haunted? She ponders with a frown. He tosses the envelope back down on the table. “Recruited by who?” he asks with an unfocused glare. 

“Someone who trusts you more than anybody else in the universe.” River informs. 

The Doctor turns around slowly, his gaze flickering to Rose questionably. She raises an eyebrow and shakes her head. There’s no way it could be her. She just got here after all. His gaze shifts to River and he takes the straw out of his mouth as he assesses her. “And who’s that?” he asks with a deep tone. 

River smiles, almost tearfully as Amy and Rory stare at her. “Spoilers.” she answers. 

He puts the straw back in his mouth, his face guarded with wariness. “So, space 1969?” Irvin drawls, wanting to get to the bottom of this mystery. He’s getting the itch to explore. 

Rose catches on with a tilt of her head, “And Canton Everett Delaware the Third. Who’s up for a trip?” she asks with a growing cautious smile. The tension in this diner is palpable. 

The Doctor smiles and claps his hands giddily, “Right! Off we go!” 

Everyone shuffles to the door the Doctor came out of earlier. Rose and Irvin lurk behind to grab their backpacks, tossing them on quickly. Rose slaps a twenty-dollar bill on the table and tells the waitress to keep the change. They walk toward the door and pass through it. The group is already inside she assumes. She stares at the TARDIS with a wistful gaze. 

“This is it? The TARDIS?” Irvin asks, his eyes greedily soaking up its presence. He’s heard so many stories about it and the adventures it provides. His eyes flutter shut when he hears a song echo in his head like it was welcoming him. 

It was nothing compared to what Rose was hearing though. Tears were already falling from her eyes, weeping at the sight of her long-lost home. The TARDIS brushes against her mind fondly, making her feel warm and safe. The equivalent to a love she would say. The connection to the ship increasing steadily. Enough so, that the doors open for her on their own. Ever since the Huon particles in her got activated during a mission. Strange things kept happening to her, changing her. It even morphed her mind into something entirely new. 

Irvin is the first to step inside the time machine. Awe takes over his whole face at the interior of it. “Oh my god.” he mutters. He walks slowly up to the time rotor, his eyes blown wide open as he takes everything in. The rotor was on a raised glass platform and he could see below him. He shuffles off his backpack and stalks around the console. His mind going into overdrive with so many questions and eagerness to learn everything about this ship. 

“Do you like her?” the Doctor asks, coming to his side with a grin. 

Irvin raises his eyes to meet the man next to him, “Do I like her? Are you insane? She’s the most wonderful thing I've seen in my entire life!” he exclaims, his hands twitching by his sides. “Dad didn’t do justice with only descriptions.” 

The Doctor beams at him and straightens his bowtie. “Too right! She’s very sexy, I agree.” 

Irvin laughs, “Interesting way to describe a ship.” 

The group stares at the two men interact with curiosity. They stand huddled next to each other as if to keep them safe from something or rather guarded. 

“You changed her,” Rose speaks up from below, by the staircase that leads up to the console. “She’s beautiful as always.” she voices weakly, still filled with emotion. The TARDIS lights twinkle afterward as if thrilled with her opinion. 

The Doctor notices, “Of course she is, she’s my ship after all!” 

Rose smirks and wanders up the stairs, hugging herself. She glances at the console and comes closer to it. She rests a hand on it, stroking it in thought. “I’m home.” she murmurs affectionately. Irvin comes to her side with a large smile, “I can’t wait to explore.” 

Rose returns the grin and bites her lip anxiously, “Oh, there’ll plenty of that, trust me.” 

The Doctor focuses on the console after watching them with a small smile and begins to set them into the vortex to float. He pulls a lever happily to have his pink and yellow human back in his life again. He casts a curious look at his companions who seem to be deep in thought. There’s something they're not telling him, and he doesn’t like it one bit. 


End file.
